ES Broadcast Hire Boosts 4K UHD Complement With Sony, GV, and Fujinon Gear Purchases

ES Broadcast has added a significant number of 4K UHD Sony cameras and switchers, Grass Valley cameras, and Fujinon lenses

ES Broadcast Hire has continued to bulk up on 4K-production equipment and is now one of the largest providers of 4K broadcast rental equipment in the world. In recent months, ES Broadcast Hire has purchased 100 Sony HDC-4300 4K system cameras, two Sony HDC-4800 Ultra High Frame Rate cameras, and two Sony XVS-8000 4K switchers; a significant number of Grass Valley LDX 86^N Series cameras and LDX 82 Series cameras; and 11 Fujinon UA27x6.5BE and 22 Fujinon UA107x8.4BE lenses. ES Broadcast Hire will be on hand at the SVG Summit (Dec. 11-12 at the New York Midtown Hilton).

Major Investment in Sony 4K Cameras, Switchers
At IBC in September, ES Broadcast Hire announced a significant investment in Sony 4K HDR technology, with the purchase of 100 x HDC-4300 4K system cameras, 2 x HDC-4800 Ultra High Frame Rate cameras, and 2 x XVS-8000 4K switchers.

100 of Sony’s 4K HDR live cameras chosen as ES Broadcast Hire expands across Europe to deliver technology for key sporting contracts

Sony’s technology will be used to deliver contracts for major sporting events and future-proofs ES Broadcast Hire’s offering as more customers make the move to 4K.

The investment comes as rental specialists ES Broadcast Hire continues its rapid European expansion, with new offices in Munich and Madrid and a further opening expected in Belgium in late 2017.

Headquartered in London, ES Broadcast Hire was the first rental company to invest in Sony’s HDC-4300 in January 2016. It now has the largest fleet of HDC-4300s in Europe, totalling over 140 channels in addition to more than 100 Sony HDC-2500 cameras already in its inventory and a number of HDC-P43s.

Sony’s HDC-4300 can seamlessly integrate with HD infrastructures and advanced workflows, providing a smooth path to 4K to ignite the passion of sports fans. The HDC-4800 offers 8x slow motion in 4K or 16x in HD enabling incredible replay and detailed action highlights.

“We chose Sony’s HDC-4300 because of its proven 4K and HDR performance,” saysEdward Saunders, CEO, ES Broadcast Hire. “We know that an investment in Sony technology will enable our customers to deliver high-quality content to audiences across the globe.”

David Nortier, UK sales director, Sony Professional Solutions Europe, added: “This major investment shows ES Broadcast Hire’s continued confidence in Sony and our technology. By choosing Sony’s HDC-4300 cameras, ES Broadcast Hire has equipped themselves with an even stronger fleet of 4K and HDR cameras, which will help their customers tell stories to build their brands and audiences.”

Boosting 4K Camera Fleet With Grass Valley Cameras
ES Broadcast Hire also announced at IBC that it had added a significant number of Grass Valley LDX 86^N Series cameras and LDX 82 Series cameras, to increase their 4K and HD hire fleet. All cameras are enabled with Grass Valley’s unrivalled native HDR acquisition.

With a large range of Grass Valley’s LDX Series cameras as well as LDK 8000 and LDK 8300 cameras, ES Broadcast Hire is able to offer the best solution for any type of production. The cameras will be used for the most challenging productions all over Europe in a wide variety of deployments for sports and music events.

Citing the rapid growth of the TV broadcast market’s migration to 4K/UHD formats as a reason behind the acquisition of the LDX Series cameras, ES Broadcast Hire Managing Director Warren Taggart explains: “We needed to increase our hire fleet and selected the camera series from Grass Valley because they provide the most technologically advanced quality for multiple formats with a flexible eLicense-based upgrade path to 4K/UHD and HDR.”

The LDX 86^N Series camera takes ES Broadcast Hire’s Grass Valley camera fleet to the next level with traditional HD/3G acquisition, offering a great viewer experience for all their live productions. The LDX 86^N WorldCam cameras can be upgraded directly to native 4K UHD as well as 3X 1080i/720p or 6X 1080i/720p or 3X 1080p, on a daily, weekly or permanent basis using Grass Valley’s unique eLicensing system. The camera’s HDR functionality can similarly be activated with a weekly or perpetual eLicense.

“We are very pleased ES Broadcast chose Grass Valley camera solutions to enlarge its 4K Hire Fleet,” notes Jan-Pieter van Welsem, vice president sales and marketing, EMEA, Grass Valley. “The LDX cameras with their high-quality picture performance and their unmatched operational flexibility will enable ES Broadcast Hire to offer their customers tailor-made solutions, enabling them to handle the most demanding jobs.”

Expanded Range of Fujinon UHD Lenses
In addition, ES Broadcast Hire has further expanded its considerable range of UHD live production lenses with the addition of a fleet of Fujinon’s latest 4K box lenses.

The company has purchased 11 Fujinon UA27x6.5BE and 22 Fujinon UA107x8.4BE lenses. The new box lenses will complement an existing inventory of Fujinon UA80x9BE 4K box lenses and UA14x4.5BERD and UA22x8BERD ENG lenses. The lenses are due for delivery in December and will be available for immediate hire.

The Fujinon lenses represent ES Broadcast Hire’s latest acquisition of UHD broadcast equipment, as the company continues to grow its 4K hire fleet – already one of the largest inventories of UHD equipment in the world.

The company has also purchased Canon UJ27 and UJ86 UHD lenses, along with Sony HDC-P43 4K cameras, in 2017.

“Our existing fleet of Fujinon lenses have proved popular, especially with our sports production clients,”  says Warren Taggart, Managing Director of ES Broadcast Hire.

“They have been used on prestigious sporting events such as the Monaco F1 Grand Prix, Premier League football, the Six Nations rugby championships and the UEFA Champions’ League final this year,” Taggart continues, “it was an easy decision to augment our Fujinon line-up with these new lenses. The UA107 will expand our range of lenses for live sports, while the UA27 will appeal to studios for light entertainment, as well as fulfilling a role on the halfway line at football and rugby matches.”

“Partnering with ES Broadcast Hire is a perfect match for us since the company shares our high standards for resolution, dynamic range and contrast performance,” says Marc Horner, Marketing Manager for Fujifilm Optical Devices Europe. “We’re confident that by adding the Fujinon UA107 and UA27 lenses to its 4K fleet, ES Broadcast Hire will be able to provide the same excellent service their clients expect, covering an even wider range of production.”

ES Broadcast Hire is currently one of the UK’s only hire companies to own Fujinon broadcast 4K lenses.

The UA107 is a 107x zoom 4K box lens with a focal range of 8.4-900mm (16.8-1,800mm with the built-in 2x extender). The UA27 offers 27x zoom, with a focal range of 6.5mm to 180mm (13-360mm with the built-in 2x extender). Both lenses will be available to hire from ES Broadcast Hire in December 2017.